Hamilton owner Bob Young says Ticats are on road to financial stability

CP

REGINA - With a new stadium taking shape and a successful run to the CFL championship game, Hamilton owner Bob Young says the future looks good for the Ticats.

"With a new stadium, a new television contract, a great web presence that we're building on and, of course, a winning football team, the Tiger-Cats will be financially stable for the first time in 42 years — next year, going into the new stadium," Young said Thursday.

"Winning the Grey Cup won't hurt at all," he added with a smile.

But that won't stop the software and digital publishing entrepreneur from nervously pacing up and down during Sunday's game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"I never sit down ... I have a little bit of nervous energy anyway but no Ticats game, (there's) no point sitting down," he said.

Part of the reason for those nerves is that he can do nothing to help.

"I have no control over the outcome. That's the sort of thing that makes me nervous. As long as I'm in charge of something, I may not be any good at it, it may crash and burn but I never actually get nervous. It's a personal quirk of mine.

"Whereas I get really nervous about things I care about that I don't have any control over."

At a team media breakfast Thursday, a beaming Young — wearing a Ticats cap — hung back and watched his players and coaches with pride.

"This is really cool," he said.

Young, a native of Ancaster, Ont., who now makes his home in Raleigh, N.C., rescued the Ticats from bankruptcy in 2003. He is quick to deflect credit for his role in the team, however.

"The joke I make is my role with the organization is to take credit for all the hard work that everyone else actually does," he said with a laugh. "This is all just evidence that all the hard work that we've put for the last 10 years actually is paying off and is resulting in the level of excellence that you have to have to get to the Grey Cup."

Hamilton coach Kent Austin, however, points to Young as one of the reasons he decided to return to the CFL coaching ranks.